Enlarged spleen over a month :(

Patient

Q:Hey so my lower left side under the rib has had this tense / tight feeling for about 2 months now. Back in late june i had this really bad cough/ sore throat for about 2 1/2 weeks. I went to the doctor and she said i had post nasal draining and got some nose spray and everything went back to normal but during this whole time i noticed just this tense pulled muscle feeling under my rib. About a week ago i went to the doctor finally to have it checked out telling him all about what i have done etc and he felt around the area and said he could feel my spleen. They tested for mono and it came back negative. About 2 days ago i went to the ER because my left pec into shoulder area were swelling pretty bad and had a hard time breathing. At the ER they tested my blood cell count / heart everything came back perfect. also had a ultrasound and everything looked good they said only thing wrong with my chest is that is was inflamed. So my question is what possibly could be wrong with my spleen. I have had a couple of puke episodes from drinking a drink called 4 loko in the past but this has only been 3 times and i never drink ever. I am just overall worried still and i have no idea what to do :/

Symptoms: Just a tight tense feeling under my left rib doesn't really hurt but it can at times and sometime it feels like its going over to my right side as well

A:
Thank you for your question. The spleen is an organ associated with the immune system and can become enlarged in times of chornic infections. This is commonly observed in infections such as mononucleosis. However, the spleen can become enlarged transiently due to other infections that your body's immune system is fighting. Based on your description, it does not seem that diagnostic imaging confirmed that your spleen was enlarged. However, we are concerned that your chest pain may be due to lung infection or a musculoskeletal problem with your ribs. Please follow up with your doctor to continue investigations into this rib pain you are feeling. If you develop shortness of breath and a crushing/tight sensation in your chest once more, please go to your nearest emergency room.

(*)
These Q&A’s are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.